France-based Global Bioenergies has joined Aviation Initiative for Renewable in Germany (Aireg) in an effort to promote biofuel use in aviation industry, produced through its isobutene process.
The two organizations will cooperate to explore and boost renewable, low-carbon fuels in the aviation sector.
By 2025, Aireg intends to meet 10% of the jet fuel demand in Germany using sustainable, alternative aviation fuels.
As part of this effort, Global Bioenergies is developing demonstration plant in Leuna, Germany which can produce alternative jet fuel from sugars.
Aireg chairman Siegfried Knecht said: "The proprietary technology allows the conversion of sugars into jet fuel, including sugars derived from waste wood and straw.
"Only through the vision and dedication of companies like Global Bioenergies, will we be able to achieve our goal to provide 10% of the German jet fuel demand based on climate-friendly alternatives by 2025."
Aireg is promoting the development and use of renewable liquid fuels to contribute to the carbon reduction targets of the aviation sector in the country.
In July, the company developed an isobutene production process that utilizes sucrose, which is the main component of sugar cane and sugar beet, as feedstock.
By 2018, Global Bioenergies and its joint venture partners French sugar producer Cristal Union and IBN-One intend to build and operate the bio-isobutene plant capable of converting sugar beet-derived sucrose into 50,000t of bio-isobutene per year.
Global Bioenergies business development head Thomas Buhl said: "Isododecane, is among the very few viable options for bio-jet fuel.
"It is obtained through the trimerization of isobutene, a well-known industrial process.
"We are planning on producing soon our first bio-jet fuel batches using bio-isobutene produced at our industrial pilot facility and are looking forward to working together with aireg and its other members on different topics such as the route towards certification."
Image: Global Bioenergies will build a plant that will produce isobutene from sugar beet-derived sucrose. Photo: courtesy of 4028mdk09.